Same-sex relationships, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are illegal in the Maldives under Sharia law and there are several cases of prosecution against persons of same-sex orientation.

Ibrahim Muaz, a spokesman at the President’s Office recently said that Maldivians seeking asylum abroad on grounds of religion or sexuality can be assured of prosecution should they return. The comments come in response to a story in the media that Abraham Naim, a homosexual Maldivian asylum seeker in New Zealand, has become an prize-winning drag queen.